Apr 30

Game 26, 2017

Phillies at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P

The Phillies send RHP Nick Pivetta out to make his major league debut. He was 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts in Triple-A. He’ll face the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4, 4.64 ERA), who had a good start his last time out, holding the Giants to one run in six innings.

Note: Yasmani Grandal has a 1.117 OPS against the Phillies, the highest of any active player.

Lineup when available.

Apr 29

Game 25, 2017

Phillies at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P, MLBN (out-of-market only)

RHP Zach Eflin (0-0, 1.50 ERA) takes the hill for the Fightin’ Phils against RHP Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 2.25 ERA) of the Blue Crew. The last time the Dodgers saw Eflin they scored seven runs and hit three homers in three innings in his final start of 2016.

McCarthy last faced the Phillies in April of 2014 when he was with the Diamondbacks. A.J. Burnett beat him with help from his now-teammate Chase Utley despite McCarthy’s seven innings and 12 strikeouts.

Justin Turner has a 14-game hitting streak.

The Number One prospect in the MLB draft is a kid named Hunter Greene from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, Ca. He pitches and plays shortstop. He visited the Dodgers and tweeted these photos this morning:

It’s unlikely he’ll still be available by the time the Dodgers select in the first round, folks.

Lineup when available.

Apr 28

Game 24, 2017

Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, TCN

The Phillies start RHP Jerad Eickhoff (0-1, 2.55 ERA). This will be his second appearance against the Dodgers; he gave up four runs in a six-inning start last season. The Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda (1-2, 8.05 ERA), who had some extra days of rest and spent it working on his mechanics. Maeda leads the major leagues this season in an unenviable category: among the 17 runs he’s allowed in his 19 innings of work are seven home runs.

Surprising news (to me, anyway): Ethier won’t be back any time soon:

Ethier has still not been cleared to resume baseball activities, and manager Dave Roberts indicated there is no timetable for that process to begin. Given Ethier’s extended downtime, Roberts admitted on Thursday that Ethier will not be ready to rejoin the Dodgers until June — “at the earliest,” he said.

And arriving even that soon is predicated on Ethier making significant progress in the next week or so.

Puig, on the other hand, has shown plate discipline and a willingness to take walks that he hasn’t shown since 2014. He’s letting that low outside pitch go by so far this year, after a year or more of lunging after it.

Lineup when available.

Hmm. Is this the first day Puig has had off since the season began?

Apr 27

Game 23, 2017

Dodgers at Giants, 12:45PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA

After a 5-2, 3.39 ERA season last season in 77 MLB innings lefthanded youngster Julio Urias makes his first appearance of the year for the Dodgers. He’s pitched 14 innings at AAA Oklahoma City this year with no decisions and a 1.93 ERA.

Urias will face YALHP Matt Moore of the Giants. Moore is 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA this year but 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA in eight starts at AT&T Park for his career. In his last start against the Dodgers on Aug. 25 of 2016 he no-hit them for 8 2/3 innings until Corey Seager broke it up. That was the same day news of the A.J. Ellis trade broke.

Lineup when available.

Apr 26

Game 22, 2017

In case you missed it, here’s the most amazing play of the year thus far:

Dodgers at Giants, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBC-Bay Area, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Lefty Alex Wood (1-0, 3.29 ERA) faces Johnny Cueto (3-1, 5.25 ERA) in Game Three of the four-game set. It might be Wood’s last start for a while, because of this news:

followed by this remark: “Roberts said Urias is up to stay.”

Lineup when available.

Roberts keeps switching batting orders around for reasons I don’t understand. Bellinger’s leading off? Toles was leading off and now he’s hitting eighth? Utley’s hitting 0-for April and yet he’s at second base?

Apr 25

Game 21, 2017

Dodgers at Giants, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA

Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 2.54 ERA) faces YALHP Ty Blach (0-0, 4.76 ERA). These two pitchers have met once before, on October 1 of last year, and Blach came out ahead. He gave up three hits but no runs and got two hits himself in his first (and only) major league win. Kershaw’s 18-8 lifetime against the Giants and 10-4 at AT&T Park.

The miserable Giants have won the season series against the Dodgers four of the past five years, and the Dodgers have been really pitiful at the Giants’ home park: they’re 2-8 there in each of the last two years.

In other news:

Lineup when available.

I am a little puzzled. I wonder if the thinking is the Dodgers are looking at Bellinger as a first-baseman down the road but meanwhile they have an outfield need.

To make room for him they optioned Eibner to AAA and designated RHP Joe Gunkel for assignment.

Apr 24

Game 20, 2017

Dodgers at Giants, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA+, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-3, 5.87 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers, and his record shows he’s having trouble getting back to his form of two years ago before surgeries. He’s given up six HRs in 15 1/3 innings and opponents are hitting .306 against him. RHP Matt Cain (1-0, 3.31 ERA) was thought to be mostly done as a starting pitcher and his opening start seemed to reinforce that belief, but then he turned around and had two very good outings. He’s given up 3 HRs in 16 1/3 innings and his opponents’ BA is a paltry .238.

Lineup when available.

Apr 23

Game 19, 2017

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 2.12 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers and RHP Shelby Miller (2-1, 3.50 ERA) does so for the D-Backs. Both pitchers had forgettable 2016 seasons — McCarthy with Tommy John surgery and Miller with poor performances all round (3-12, 6.15 ERA for the year with no wins at Chase Field).

McCarthy, 33, has bounced around the big leagues — the Dodgers are his sixth team. He’s never had a brilliant season but has been serviceable when healthy. His career record is 59-68 with a 4.13 ERA in 1069 innings.

Miller, 26, was a 15-game winner in 2013 and 2014 with the Cardinals before going to the Braves in exchange for outfielder Jason Heyward. He had a horrible W-L record (6-17) but a good ERA (3.02) in 2015 with the Braves. He was traded to the D-Backs following that season. For his career he’s 37-48 with a 3.68 ERA in 694 innings.

The Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Andrew Toles and Yasiel Puig are a combined 16-for-33 (.485) against Miller. On the other hand, before Saturday’s game Goldschmidt was a career .313 hitter (121-for-386) with 24 homers and 80 RBIs vs. the Dodgers.

Lineup when available.

Apr 22

Game 18, 2017

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

Kenta Maeda (1-1, 7.07 ERA) goes for the Dodgers, YALHP Robbie Ray (1-0, 1.96 ERA) for the D-Backs. If you’re counting, Ray is the 10th lefty to start against the Dodgers in 18 games.

Maeda pitched against the Diamondbacks Saturday night, giving up four runs on four hits in four innings. He has yet to settle in this season; the Dodgers are hoping extra bullpen and two extrad days of rest will get him on the right track. Ray faced the Dodgers Monday night, went six innings, gave up two runs, walked four, struck out ten and got no decision for his trouble.

Lineup when available.

So apparently Joc’s deemed not likely to succeed as well against the lefty Ray as he did leading off against the righty Walker last night. No Toles, no Utley, no Seager: I don’t quite understand Dave Roberts’ reasoning here.

Apr 21

Game 17, 2017

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

There’s another lefty on the hill in this game, but for a change it’s the Dodgers’ pitcher. Alex Wood (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 8K) takes the injured Rich Hill’s spot tonight against the D-Backs’ righty Taijuan Walker (2-1, 3.94, 16K). Wood has made one previous start this season. He went 3 2/3 innings against the Cubs on April 10, walked five, struck out four and gave up only one earned run. He’s pitched an additional 5 1/3 innings of relief this year. Walker allowed one run in five innings with seven strikeouts against the Dodgers on April 16 and got the win.

Lineup when available.